I recently saw that YouTube has a feature call annotations which can be used to link to other videos or pages within YouTube. Most people use these annotation to link to their other videos or their channel page or to just make text appear over their video. However, the potential for this is far greater if the video makers start to think creatively about how it is used. It can mean that video is no longer a passive activity where the audience just sits and watches but they can be forced to interact with the content, creating a more memorable experience.

I plan to use this feature to create some video series of interactive videos that help to explain and exercise ELF students knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. My first attempt is (which is just a prototype) is up and running and I would like to share it with you.

Click here to view the video.

It is a simple exercise for elementary students focusing on the verb to be. The user is presented with a simple sentence that sues the verb to be and they have to choose if it has been used correctly or incorrectly. If they choose correctly they will be congratulated and move on to the next one, if they choose wrongly they will be given and brief explanation of why they were wrong.

I am planning to create more videos like this. The will be separated into groups like classes. First there will be a video explaining a grammar point followed by 4 or five videos where there understanding of this explanation will be tested. Please subscribe to the channel so you can see the new videos as the are released.

I have also used the annotations to make an interactive phonetic chart which you can find here.